Saxophone Forum

Should Relaquering A Horn Deprciate The Value So Much Nowadays?

I understand that to relacquer a horn years ago would significantly drop the value of the horn due to the fact that it was done by buffing. However, horns these days can be stripped by putting them in a chemical solution. You don't have to worry about the metal being worn away in any areas and the engravings still look sharp, so long as the person does a decent job. So shouldn't relacquering a horn not depreciate the value of the horn so much anymore? I guess I can't really complain considering I bought a relacquered King Super 20 alto in the 29xxxx range for only $2500. The horn is a monster! It absolutely blew away the Selmer SBA I was playing at the time. Not to mention it's just plain beautiful. Engraved bell keys and mother of pearl on all the side keys. Gorgeous! This was a well done relacquer job. The engraving is still nice and sharp. Should the value of this horn really been that low just because it was a relacquer? What are your opinions on this?

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Re: Should Relaquering A Horn Deprciate The Value So Much Nowadays?

The market perception of things is a fickle and sometimes illogical thing.
As for me, I buy equipment on a practical basis- what can it actually do as opposed to whether it's "the trend". Now your experience is eerily similar to mine- many years ago I traded an SBA for a 333XXX Super 20 tenor (more of a no-lacquer than a relacquer) - same reaction. I've been playing it now for almost 30 years, enjoying it so much that I wore a hole in it. JB Weld to the rescue! I hope that you enjoy yours as much!

Re: Should Relaquering A Horn Deprciate The Value So Much Nowadays?

Thanks for the reply Blackfrancis. Yes, I'm truly enjoying this horn. It such a monster player! Granted, the SBA was certainly a good horn, but the Super 20 slaughtered it in every category. I don't know why a modern relacquer should hurt the value of a horn so much, but I certainly came out on top for the price I paid for such a great horn.

Re: Should Relaquering A Horn Deprciate The Value So Much Nowadays?

I think that it all depends on the quality of the re-lacquer. I've seen some horns that looked pretty awful, and others that you probably wouldn't know it had been re-lacquered unless someone told you.
My 1948 Conn 10M was re-lacquered twice. The first time in 1962 at the Conn factory. I know this, because my father purchased this sax in 1963 and the receipt was in the case. He said that the horn looked like new when he got it. By 2002, it was looking pretty rough again, and I took it to the Wind Works, in Burton, MI. They used a citrus chemical solution to strip the lacquer. The horn was hand-polished , the new lacquer applied and baked on. The finish looks great. The engraving is still clear, but not as bold as it was originally.
Most horns of the 40's, 50's and 60's that are for sale today have been re-lacquered at one time or another. From my experience, pretty horns seem to sell faster; rather they are original lacquer or not.